Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Nominations are invited for the award of Indira Gandhi Prize for Popularization of Sciencefor the year2011by the Academy.The Prize will be awarded for outstanding work by an individual for the popularization of science in any Indian language, including English. The nominee must have had a distinguished career as a writer, editor, journalist, lecturer, radio or television programme director, film producer, science photographer or as an illustrator, which has enabled him/her to interpret science (including medicine), research and technology to the public. He/she should have a knowledge of the role of science, technology and research in the enrichment of cultural heritage and in solution of problems of humanity. The prize is open to any Indian national residing in the country and will carry Rs 25,000 in cash and a bronze medal. The prize winner will be expected to deliver a lecture at the venue to be fixed by the Academy. Nominations for the award may be made by the Fellows of INSA, Vice-Chancellors and Directors of leading scientific institutions and National Laboratories and Editors of Indian Science Journals in the prescribed proforma. The nomination form duly completed in all respects may be sent so as to reach the Executive Secretary, Indian National Science Academy, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi 110 002 latest by 16 July 2010. Prescribed proforma for nomination is obtainable from the address as mentioned.

Monday, June 7, 2010

CSSP Electronic Working Paper Series on S&T Policy and Innovation Studies

The CSSP Electronic Working Paper Series (EWPS) is intended to explore and debate themes in science, technology and innovation studies. While drawing into active dialogue of leading scholars and practitioners who share similar concerns, this effort will reflect the academic priorities of the CSSP.

Working Paper No. CSSPEWPS 1

How law makes technoscience: The shaping of expectations, actors and accountabilities in regenerative medicine in Europe

by

Alex Faulkner (King's College London)

March 2010

Abstract: The paper undertakes a textual analysis of the Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) Regulation which passed into law in the European Union (EU) in 2007, using the analytic concept of performativity. The ATMP document is significant for the development of regenerative medicine in the EU and globally. Drawing on concepts from socio-legal studies, innovation studies and science & technology studies, the text is discourse-analysed with a focus on: scientific-industry structure; production and technology; expectation and vision; rights and responsibilities; and actors - regulatory actors, participants in regenerative medicine production, and the public. The analysis shows a tension between standardisation and imprecision in the conceptual scaffolding of the legislative text, and reveals a number of 'elephants in the room' - including the concept of regenerative medicine itself. The reasons for the imprecision and conspicuous absences are discussed. Such texts combine material significant to key concerns of recent theorising of innovative technologies, such as technology expectations, sector-building and the stabilisation of technology. Referring to philosopher John Austin's well-known work on 'how to do things with words', Austin's concept of the 'conventional consequences' of a performative text is referred to in order to argue that legislative texts are a special class of document which should be accorded a more prominent place in studies of the governance and emergence of new scientific-technological zones and sectors.

Biographical Notes: Dr Alex Faulkner is Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Biomedicine & Society (CBAS), Kings College London. He is a sociologist of medicine and technology, and has been researching the developing regulatory regimes for tissue engineering in the EU, supported by the UK's Economic and Social Research Council. In 2009 he received a substantial grant from the UK's National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) to investigate the different pathways that device technologies take into the healthcare system. He has published over 30 scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals. His recent book is: 'Medical Technology into Healthcare and Society: a sociology of devices, innovation and governance' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009). Other current interests are in theories of governance of emerging biomedical sectors in the global context, and the interface of sport and regenerative medicine.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Organized by: The School of Journalism and New Media Studies, IGNOU in collaboration with DW-AKADEMIE Academy,

DW-Trainers: Guy Degen and Marcus Bösch

Summary of course concept

The two week course (10 training days) aims to provide participants with the necessary skills to produce multimedia content and use social media platforms for research, news gathering, networking and distribution.The course is designed for online journalists seeking to broaden their multimedia and social media skills, and journalists working in print or broadcast media who are making a transition to online multimedia journalism, yet already have a solid working knowledge of online platforms such as blogs and regularly use social media.The course seeks to not only harness current Web 2.0 tools, but also show participants how they can adapt in an era of fast-paced digital development in journalism and move beyond Web 2.0. The course strongly focuses on practical training in parallel with building upon the prior online journalism and digital knowledge of participants. Throughout the course participants will learn:

how to produce and present a multimedia project for the web;

how to effectively use social media during their whole working processes;

new ways of using tools such as digital cameras and mobile phones for producing multimedia journalism; and,

about new online and social media tools that can be practically applied to journalism.

The course will be split into two sections. The first week will concentrate on introducing participants to new skills and digital tools as well as providing the opportunity for practice and skills development. The second week will focus on the gathering of digital audio and visual materials and production of a group multimedia journalism project.